A consumer vibes indicator, in the form of two Q2 earnings reports: TJX (which owns TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls) raised its outlook for the remainder of the year after beating expectations. Over the same period, Target reported declining same-store sales. In this episode, today’s consumers are choosing off-price bargain hunting over a big-box staple. Plus: Retailers sneak in price hikes, SPACs make a return, and the labor market’s got some regional variation.

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